Started a business that almost every other business can benefit from...

[KmofugginD]

and spent the day calling... and being hung up on...

and calling... and being hung up on...

and calling...
You get the idea.
People are so accustomed to being "sold" something that it seems their ears block out any information that is being said, no matter what.

Brushing up on my phone skills, and couldnt justify heading to the bar... so i figured id vent to "the bar"!

 

[sniff6]

Most people and it includes me ..Hate cold calls!!!I figure if i want something then i will call you!!! :spank:

Sorry nothing personal

 

[arsity]

I dont even answer phone calls from numbers I do not recognize. If it's important, they will leave a message. And if I think it's important, I will call them back. LOL :BLAA:

 

[Motogiro]

Most people and it includes me ..Hate cold calls!!!I figure if i want something then i will call you!!! :spank:

Sorry nothing personal

I think what it is, is, everyone is asking for money and fighting for a cause. You can't turn on a radio or a TV or go to the store without someone asking for something. We have people pan handling in front of the stores and on street corners and corporations are now realizing they can skim off of begging by asking you at the checkout stand for money for every cause in creation.
I think people are becoming hardened to these tactics and they realize their intelligence and good heartedness are being challenged to the point they are just fed up. When people ask me for money I just say nothing and and stare off into space. I figure I'm not being anymore rude than they are. I'm checking out at the store and paying with my ATM card and the readout asks would you like to donate $$ for bawl cancer. I answer No and continue my transaction and the cashier then asks me if I would like to support bawl cancer and I say, Why would I support something so terrible and the cashier says no I mean... I know what you mean but that's not what you're saying and further more I just answered no on the ATM paypoint. The cashiers says the boss makes it mandatory that we ask.

When people call me on my phone I tell them in an old guys voice something like James Stewart,

Me- "We're whittling!"

Caller- Your What?!

Me- We're whittling stuff out a wood...you know... carving stuff out of wood.

Caller- Are you the decision maker of the house? Is this *****?

Me- Are you the wood delivery people???? We need more wood!!!!

Sometimes you get a sentient, conscious person on the other end and we both just start laughing....

Sometimes I get "Robo Hominid" "If your not the decision maker can you....?"

And me...."We're whittling!!!"

Don't take offense. We live in rude and disrespectful times. It's a very tough job today....

 

[pookamatic]

To the OP, don't take it personally. People are hounded so often they're desensitized and shut down no matter what. Too many open hands out there. I donate to local police and fire. Of course, as soon as you donate once, you're on the list of people who give, and get called all the time.

 

[cult67]

Telemarketing is the analog version of spam email. You are fighting a loosing battle.

 

[Nelly]

and spent the day calling... and being hung up on...

and calling... and being hung up on...

and calling...
You get the idea.
People are so accustomed to being "sold" something that it seems their ears block out any information that is being said, no matter what.

Brushing up on my phone skills, and couldnt justify heading to the bar... so i figured id vent to "the bar"!

From what your saying, the business (we would all like to know what it is) is sound but the medium your using to sell it is flawed.
I also detest cold calls, especially from my current service providers. Send me a text or an e-mail.

Neil

 

[TheRabbi]

At our company we don't do cold calls at all. We're in the service industry and we don't have a sales team, we find them entirely useless. Our sales are almost entirely organic, they come from networking and meeting people, without trying to sell them directly. When a need opens up someone in your network will remember that you provide a service related and will give you a call to see if you can help.

Also, don't ever sacrifice quality for a sale. In our early stages we turned down work because we knew we couldn't provide the right level of service for that client. As we grew and developed we were able to take on bigger and more complex projects. We still maintained rapport with the people whose work we turned down and now have them as clients.

Some suggestions:
Start off with people in your network that you know. Give them a free trial and hope they spread the word, even if they may not need it they may know other people they can suggest it to.

When you call people, instead of trying to sell them ask them if they would be available to get coffee (or lunch, if you can afford it) so you can get to know their business and see if there's a good fit.

Network like crazy, go to as many networking events as you can. Remember, DO NOT try to sell to people at networking events -- just build relationships and sales will come with time.

In my opinion, the best way to sell people is to not sell at all. Definitely make sure people know what you do and what services you offer, but don't ever feel like you need to sell them directly and definitely not all the time. Once you get to know people and build relationships you may identify opportunities to make suggestions where your business can help. And, like I mentioned above, even if they don't have a need for your service they may know other people who do and a recommendation from someone you know is worth infinitely more than a cold call.